As a kid I remember reading a book about a modern Jewish girl who is transported back in time to WWII, and when she asks someone what year it is, they say something like, "3023," and she's like, "WHAT? It can't be the future!" But the person she was talking to was using the Jewish year numbering system, which apparently was no longer common in her era. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that different groups could have different dating systems.

As a kid I remember reading a book about a modern Jewish girl who is transported back in time to WWII, and when she asks someone what year it is, they say something like, "3023," and she's like, "WHAT? It can't be the future!" But the person she was talking to was using the Jewish year numbering system, which apparently was no longer common in her era. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that different groups could have different dating systems.

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen?

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"It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends" - Harry Potter

As a kid I remember reading a book about a modern Jewish girl who is transported back in time to WWII, and when she asks someone what year it is, they say something like, "3023," and she's like, "WHAT? It can't be the future!" But the person she was talking to was using the Jewish year numbering system, which apparently was no longer common in her era. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that different groups could have different dating systems.

When I was a kid I couldn't figure out why people didn't realize that Jesus was the Messiah. After all the years had been counting down until his birth.

Quit laughing!

It made so much more sense when I learned that there were multiple calendar systems.

When I did teacher training on the Holocaust I've been chastised for using CE and BCE by one teacher. I thought it only polite given the topic. I was also surprised at the number of history teachers not familiar with the phrase Common Era.

As a kid I remember reading a book about a modern Jewish girl who is transported back in time to WWII, and when she asks someone what year it is, they say something like, "3023," and she's like, "WHAT? It can't be the future!" But the person she was talking to was using the Jewish year numbering system, which apparently was no longer common in her era. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that different groups could have different dating systems.

Devil's Arithmetic - used to be on the 5th grade novel list. Had the distinction of being 1 of 3 books on the list that didn't kill off the main character. The others were Bridge to Terabithia, and Johnny Tremain. Yes Devil's Arithmetic, Bridge to Terabithia and Johnny Tremain were the "Happy books" in 5th grade. Several years of protesting when nowhere - till the district switched from Novel lists to leveled books/novels.

Brought to mind, the IMO splendid time-travel novel “Household Gods” by Harry Turtledove and Judith Tarr. On the “beware of what you wish for – you may get it” theme. American professional lady circa 2000 AD, feeling bedevilled and harried by her assorted “First World problems”, dreams of how much better and simpler life would have been in Roman times. She is magically transported into those times – in the 2nd century AD, in a place on the far northern fringe of the Roman Empire – is given the magical ability to understand and speak Latin, but in all other respects, she’s on her own – including not knowing where or when it is in Roman times, that she has landed up.

A long voyage of discovery and disillusionment for the heroine. Among other things – she being a nominal Christian – she finds that in the time and place where she has landed, Christians are seen as; and largely behave as; a marginal bunch of fanatical, anti-social and potentially dangerous, at least borderline-terroristic, enemies of established society. Early in her spell in the past – trying to figure out “when it is” – she asks the locals among whom she has landed, what year it is according to the Christian calendar. The response is: “Do those loonies even have their own calendar? That’s news to us.”

Think of it like a lawyer where the profession is split between barrister and solicitor. Barristers go to court, solicitors don't.

Ahem, incorrect. I am an Australian solicitor and I appear in Court fequently.

Barristers tend to do more advocacy work, and are generally not instructed directly by a client, but rather through a solicitor. Barristers often provide specialist advice, and draft or settle complex documents, and mostly solicitors do the more basic legwork when they are working together. It's a difficult disctinction to define, but technically there's little a barrister can do that I can't - they're just more likely to have particular skills, and therefore do it better. BUt its not like I'm not allowed to.

Yup. I'm a solicitor in the UK, and I go to court a fair bit, often appearing where there is a barrister appearing for the other party. As I deal with family cases, no-one (barristers or solicitors) wears wigs or gowns (nor does the Judge) The main difference here is that solicitors will deal with the case from the beginning, dealing with the client, preparing the documenta, working out what is and isn't relevant etc, before giving the barrister a set of papers and instructions to work from. Here in the UK the two professions are moving closer together - barristers can (in some circumstances) accept instructions directly from lay clients, and solicitor can obtain higher courts rights of audience (it used to be that solicitors could not appear in the Crown Court (Criminal) which was a little odd as we've always been able to appear in the County Court (Civil)

As a kid I remember reading a book about a modern Jewish girl who is transported back in time to WWII, and when she asks someone what year it is, they say something like, "3023," and she's like, "WHAT? It can't be the future!" But the person she was talking to was using the Jewish year numbering system, which apparently was no longer common in her era. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that different groups could have different dating systems.

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen?

I think you're right!

I haven't gotten around to reading the book, but the movie was pretty good. I remember the part regarding the year in the movie too.

Brought to mind, the IMO splendid time-travel novel “Household Gods” by Harry Turtledove and Judith Tarr. On the “beware of what you wish for – you may get it” theme. American professional lady circa 2000 AD, feeling bedevilled and harried by her assorted “First World problems”, dreams of how much better and simpler life would have been in Roman times. She is magically transported into those times – in the 2nd century AD, in a place on the far northern fringe of the Roman Empire – is given the magical ability to understand and speak Latin, but in all other respects, she’s on her own – including not knowing where or when it is in Roman times, that she has landed up.

A long voyage of discovery and disillusionment for the heroine. Among other things – she being a nominal Christian – she finds that in the time and place where she has landed, Christians are seen as; and largely behave as; a marginal bunch of fanatical, anti-social and potentially dangerous, at least borderline-terroristic, enemies of established society. Early in her spell in the past – trying to figure out “when it is” – she asks the locals among whom she has landed, what year it is according to the Christian calendar. The response is: “Do those loonies even have their own calendar? That’s news to us.”

I enjoyed that book a great deal. Her ex was a super jerk, but her judgementalism was huge.

Well - Jesus was born when Augustus sent out a decree that "all the world should be taxed" (census time - in Roman terms).

He died some time between the time Livia (Augustus' widow and mother of Tiberius) died and the time Little Boots (Caligula) died. Definitely before Claudius or Nero took the name and power of Ceasar....but after Nero, I no longer remember the correct order of who came to power when. Just that some of them were in power for days and others for decades....

If she (character in book) had asked WHO ruled in Rome - she might have been able to approximate when she was - depending on how long (days, weeks, or months) it took the news to get to her backwoods corner of the Empire. Which at least meant it was after the Republic ended....Augustus ruled for decades & died in 14 A.D./C.E.

I seem to remember that Livia died before Tiberius did - so before Caligula came to power....but getting the time line straight between what was going on in one country and another back then isn't easy, as what Rome paid attention to didn't always match events in those other countries were paying attention to - partly the delay in communications...partly different "national" interests.

As a kid I remember reading a book about a modern Jewish girl who is transported back in time to WWII, and when she asks someone what year it is, they say something like, "3023," and she's like, "WHAT? It can't be the future!" But the person she was talking to was using the Jewish year numbering system, which apparently was no longer common in her era. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that different groups could have different dating systems.

Devil's Arithmetic - used to be on the 5th grade novel list. Had the distinction of being 1 of 3 books on the list that didn't kill off the main character. The others were Bridge to Terabithia, and Johnny Tremain. Yes Devil's Arithmetic, Bridge to Terabithia and Johnny Tremain were the "Happy books" in 5th grade. Several years of protesting when nowhere - till the district switched from Novel lists to leveled books/novels.

I always loved Number the Stars, that would be a better "feel good" book, since it doesn't show the full horrors of the Nazis. But Bridge to Terabithia, while it does have the one very very sad event, generally is such a joyful book. I remember dragging my brother out to the woods and "creek" behind my house and building our very own Terabithia after reading that book. Years later, my dad was cleaning up in the woods and mentioned in passing that he'd had to "dismantle Terabithia" (we'd taken a bunch of wood scraps back to make "thrones" and tables and such), so even he knew what we called it.

VorFemme, it's funny that you mention that she should have been able to date when she'd arrived based on the emperor. I'm sure that most modern Americans would not be able to do that. At most they might know of the senate, Julius, and Augustus. I don't know past Augustus, because that's as far as we've gotten in the "Story of the World" CDs.

But it reminds me of a book that I read the children's version of as a child, called "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." In it, this character goes back into time, and somehow remembers the exact date of a solar eclipse, and it happens to be on the day after they had captured him and were accusing him of witchcraft or something like that. He uses it in an attempt to prove that he is powerful and they'd better not mess with him. But as a kid, my thought was, how in the world does a man from the 19th century (or whenever, but I think it was 19th as I think it was by Mark Twain?) know when a solar eclipse happened hundreds and hundreds of years before? I'm even teaching my kids astronomy and I haven't memorized the list of when solar or lunar eclipses is. Of course, I only read this abridged version of the book that was meant for children, so maybe the full book explained this, I don't know. But it puzzled me for years as a kid, whenever I'd see/read that book.

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Emily is 8 years old! 1/07Jenny is 6 years old! 10/08Charlotte is 4 years old! 8/10Megan is 2 years old! 10/12Lydia is 4 months old! 12/14

But it reminds me of a book that I read the children's version of as a child, called "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." In it, this character goes back into time, and somehow remembers the exact date of a solar eclipse, and it happens to be on the day after they had captured him and were accusing him of witchcraft or something like that. He uses it in an attempt to prove that he is powerful and they'd better not mess with him. But as a kid, my thought was, how in the world does a man from the 19th century (or whenever, but I think it was 19th as I think it was by Mark Twain?) know when a solar eclipse happened hundreds and hundreds of years before? I'm even teaching my kids astronomy and I haven't memorized the list of when solar or lunar eclipses is. Of course, I only read this abridged version of the book that was meant for children, so maybe the full book explained this, I don't know. But it puzzled me for years as a kid, whenever I'd see/read that book.

Yes, Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. And no, he never explained why he knew that there would be an eclipse on that day. The full text is available at Project Gutenberg.

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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Common sense is not a gift, but a curse. Because thenyou have to deal with all the people who don't have it. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~